Waltz
by Immortal Nymph
Summary: Soujiro gets the chance to have the love of a family, The Kenshin gumi, but that's just half of it. Soujiro needs what everyone needs...Love. Updated once more!
1. Prologue: Halfway There

**Author's Note:** Reloaded this chapter yet again, and the others cuz of spelling and mistakes P But it's the same, oh and yea when I write out of the story, it's all in misspelled wordz as u can see.

P.S. - I **do not** and never will own **Rurouni Kenshin**

:Nobuhiro Watsuki eyes Nymph: What? (Sweat drops)

:Stare at each other for a while:

Alright, alright already! I don't own Soujiro Seta a.k.a. Tenken either! There I said, ya happy! Sheesh!

:Soujiro pops out from behind Nymph and sighs: I'm sorry Nymph- chan, but I have to go.

:Nobuhiro smiles:

YOU MEANIE! ONE OF THESE SOUJIRO AND BATTOUSAI WILL BE MINE! WAHH!

Read and ignore my dumb ramblings :P

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**Prologue:** Halfway There

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He should've taken the left route instead of the right.

He should've listened to the old man who was fishing at the river. He should've ignored his wanting to come to this place.

The place where he now stood, staring at the sign on the gate. He had stood there for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. His nerves were screaming at him to leave and continue walking. But his heart was begging him to simply knock on the gate and wait. With all the commotion battling inside him, he didn't know what to do except stare at the wooden gate.

_What do I do? What do I do_? The question rolled over and over like waves in his mind, drowning him in nervousness.

"Oi! Are you just gonna stand there like a moron or actually knock?" A voice yelled, breaking through his battle raging inside.

He looked at his side, seeing a boy and a girl walking towards him. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. Falling in defeat, he gave into his old self, his only facade that protected him from the world.

"Konnichiwa, I'm here to see Mr. Himura." Seta Soujiro spoke with a simple smile and his eyes squinted to the point where they looked closed.

The kids stopped walking and stared at him with pale faces, neither saying anything.

Soujiro meanwhile was kicking his own conscious for being so useless. He found it very ironic that his notorious self could say the words so flawlessly while his new normal self had practically peed in his pants trying to speak.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH KENSHIN?" The boy yelled abruptly and charged at Soujiro who was confused at his outburst.

"Yahiko be careful!" The young girl cried out as if the boy was in any great danger. Then again he _was _trying to attack the legendary Tenken.

Soujiro absentmindedly stepped out of the boy's way and turned to look at him with his eyes back to normal. "I just want to talk to him, that's all."

The boy laughed bitterly and then pointed at the sword that hung at Soujiro's hip. "Oh yea, and I'm guessing you're just bringing a sword to show Kenshin how shiny it is. Tell me who you are before I decide to kick your ass all the way back to your mother's lap!" The boy named Yahiko shouted in rage.

Soujiro's eyes narrowed a bit when Yahiko's words sunk in. He had vague memories of his mother, but even those few priceless visions were enough to say that **NO ONE** could ever say something about his mother, even if it were meant as a joke much less a threat. Soujiro the Tenken wouldn't allow it, not while he lived.

Tenken, no longer the calm Soujiro, placed a hand on his sword and almost popped up the hilt of the sword with his thumb when the gate opened, showing a redheaded man.

Both swordsmen looked at each other, Soujiro's eyes still narrowed dangerously and Himura Kenshin's face a bit pale.

"Kenshin get back! This guy is trying to kill you!" Yahiko panicked and ran up to Kenshin, pushing the ex-hitokiri back in the residence, where they both fell to the ground.

"Yahiko! Kenshin-san!" The girl peeped, now standing by Soujiro's side.

Soujiro took his eyes off Kenshin who had swirls for eyes and was making a noise, which sounded, to Soujiro like: ORORORORORO.

He placed his blue eyes on the girl who looked up at meet his. She gasped and stepped back, trembling in fear. "Y-Yahiko..."

"Tsubame!"

The little boy who seemed to be ten or eleven yelled and quickly got off Kenshin and raced to stand in front of Tsubame with his arms stretched out at his sides, protecting his secret crush and beloved friend.

"Leave or die." Yahiko growled, his eyes burning with flames.

Soujiro out of habit smiled and nodded. He then turned to Kenshin and bowed to him, "Sayonara Himura-san."

With that he began to walk away, leaving behind a shocked Yahiko and a confused Tsubame. _I-Is he leaving? Is he actually leaving us alone?_ Yahiko's conscious questioned, watching the young swordsman retreat.

Kenshin stood up and smiled sincerely at Yahiko and Tsubame, "Arigato for protecting sessha, Yahiko and Tsubame. But he is not here to kill me. Sessha guarantees that to you."

Yahiko slowly nodded; his mind still in shock. Kenshin turned to Soujiro's form and called out to him.

Soujiro turned around with his mask back on, his blank smile and squinted eyes. "Hai, Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin bowed to him and looked at the confused young man, "You are welcome here."

Soujiro stood there for a few moments and looked at the kids who were peeking from behind Kenshin.

Kenshin as if reading his thoughts, chuckled, "It's not everyday a swordsman comes here to do something other than try to fight me. Yahiko doesn't bite, not that hard at least. And Miss Tsubame is too sweet of a girl to barely even bark."

Soujiro nodded and slowly walked up to Kenshin where he hesitantly took off his facade and showed the real him. "Arigato, Mr. Himura. And please forgive me for causing such commotion, Sir Yahiko and Lady Tsubame."

Both Yahiko and Tsubame stood rooted to the ground; did he just give them honorific names? Yahiko stared at Soujiro with a bewildered look on his face while Tsubame blushed furiously.

Kenshin placed a hand on Soujiro's shoulder, which caught his attention. Kenshin smiled kindly at Soujiro, his amethyst eyes telling the young man that it was all right to come inside.

"How are you Mr. Himura? Well, I hope. It's been 8 months since your battle with Mr. Shishio." Soujiro finally spoke, breaking into conversation as they walked into the small estate. Kenshin led him into the dojo and around until they reached the kitchen, where Kenshin was brewing tea.

"I'm all right, that I am. How's traveling? You're still on your journey correct?" Kenshin answered, sitting in front of Soujiro.

The young man nodded and looked around the room, "This is nice place, Mr. Himura."

Kenshin watched Soujiro closely, noticing the sad emotion in his eyes, and the anxiety in his soul; which made Kenshin faintly smile. _He's feeling once again… I'm glad for him, I'm very glad for him.  
_  
"Mr. Himura, I came to ask you something." Soujiro said still scanning the room.

"Fire away, Soujiro." Kenshin noticed Soujiro's nervousness slowly but surely go away.

"Well, it's about my journey. But before I start, I want to thank you for what you done. Thank you very much...But about the journey, the truth that I'm searching for... I hope I don't sound immature or pesky, but I would really like to...To know how to find the truth in an easier or simpler way. I'm very grateful that you even gave sessha advice, but I just ne-- what?"

Soujiro interrupted himself noticing Kenshin's eyes light up with laughter.

"Nothing Soujiro. It's that, I haven't heard any one else other than _sessha_ call themselves unworthy."

Soujiro looked at Kenshin with a shocked face, stunned that the legendary manslayer called himself an unworthy person.

"Mr. Himura, you are not unworthy. I'm the sessha. I've been a complete idiot for ten years. If anyone here is an unworthy person, it's me."

Kenshin frowned at his words and shook his head in disagreement. "Soujiro, you think too lowly of yourself. Yes, you were on the wrong road for a decade but everyone makes mistakes. That does not make you unworthy; it makes you human. If you were unworthy why would I bother bowing to you as a sign of respect?"

Soujiro smirked and answered back, "The same question goes to you, Mr. Himura but... Thank you."

Kenshin stood up and signaled Soujiro to stay seated as he went to get the tea. "Please continue with what you were saying."

The young man nodded and let out a shaky breath before he continued. "I'm very grateful that you sent me on this journey to find my own truth, but it seems like it's so far away… It seems so distant like the stars, I know it's there, you told me so, but it's so unreachable. So...I came here to thank you and to ask you if you could help me a bit more." He felt so selfish, so low; it was killing him inside. He couldn't bear to look at Kenshin in the eye.

Kenshin stayed quiet for a while which made Soujiro's nerves to raise their volume.

"Soujiro...I think it would be better for you if you worked hard to get the truth. When I started my journey, it seemed like yours, never-ending. But now, after all the trouble I went through, all the pain, the misery, I learned that it was all worth it. It seemed hopeless at first, I was frustrated, like I'm sure you are now, and it was excruciating to know that I still hadn't found my truth.

But now, I found it. And I think back on those painful days where the forest was my home and the weather was my friend and I smile on it, because I truly value my truth. And you will too when you find it." Kenshin sat down with two cups of hot tea and gave one to Soujiro who was letting Kenshin's words become engraved in his mind.

"I understand, Mr. Himura...I think." He said with an embarrassed smile.

Kenshin nodded, "You'll understand one day, Soujiro. I can assure you that your journey will lead you to the truth."

Soujiro cupped his tea and drank some, his stomach thanking the Gods above for food after being starved for three days straight. "This is good tea, Mr. Himura. The best so far."

"Thank you... Sano, Yahiko, Miss Kaoru, Miss Megumi, Miss Tsubame, would all of you like some tea as well?"

The group behind the shoji panicked, and tried getting up but their legs were tied up with each other's.

"Oi, get off me!"

"Raccoon girl your sweaty hair is on my face!"

"Oi, fox get your damn ass off me, you weight like a cow!"

"Miss Kaoru I can't breathe!"

"My hair is not sweaty you fox!"

"Busu, get off Tsubame!"

"I am not a fox nor do I weight like a cow you damned rooster-head!"

"Go to hell and stay there FOX-LADY!"

"You're gonna eat dirt once I'm outta here Yahiko-CHAN!"

"Miss Kaoru, please get off me!"

Soujiro looked at the wall, hearing the loud yells coming from behind it. He turned to Kenshin, puzzled, but Kenshin simply drank his tea as if nothing was happening.

The wall suddenly broke, and it slammed down onto Kenshin's head, squashing the poor swordsman under the weight, but leaving the younger one as the audience. Soujiro turned his perspective towards the group of people who were fighting to be set free. From under the wall, Soujiro could hear Kenshin do that silly noise again, the "ORORORORORORORORO" but a bit slower now.

"Kenshin!" The girl named Miss Kaoru cried out, somehow free from the tangles of limbs.

She ignored the fact that Soujiro was there sitting watching everything happen around him and dragged Kenshin out from under the wall, his feet were the only things that stuck out from under it. She pulled him out and got on her knees to see if he was all right.

"Kenshin! Kenshin are you alright?" She panicked, shaking him a bit causing more swirls from his eyes.

"I'm... All right... Miss...Kaoru..." Kenshin reassured between "oro's".

Kaoru nodded and got back on her feet, twirling around to meet with Soujiro's eyes.

"Konnichiwa, Sir Soujiro! I'm Kamiya Kaoru, and you are welcome to stay! Don't say no, because by the looks of it, you're in need of some meat on your bones, a nice bath, new clothes, and a home if you want to find out the truth of your journey!" Kamiya Kaoru rambled on, and gasped at the end when she noticed what she had let out. She blushed tremendously and bowed her head in embarrassment.

The others were now getting somewhere; Yahiko was now loose and was pulling out Tsubame from under Sano and Megumi who were still bickering.

"'m very sorry…We were rude for eaves-dropping on your conversation, Sir Soujiro." Kaoru apologized in a small voice, her eyes staring at the ground.

Soujiro got up and bowed at her, smiling at her. "There's no need to apologize Kamiya-san, this is your home after all. And I'm afraid I have to say n--"

"Oh my Gods! Look at him! Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen!" Takani Megumi gasped as she ran to Soujiro and hugged him tightly, stuffing poor Soujiro's face in her bosom.

Sano's top blew off and Kaoru's temper went sky high, watching Megumi squeeze the life out of Soujiro.

"Megumi get off the damned kid!" Sano yelled, glaring at Megumi who ignored him.

"I am trying to talk to my guest Miss Megumi! Get off him! Damnit Megumi, get off the guy!"

Kaoru snapped and attacked Megumi, prying off the doctor's arms around Soujiro who was suffocating, waving his arms around.

Sano pulled Kenshin up to his feet and grabbed the short man by the collar of his magenta gi. "Kenshin, do something ya lame ass! Get that broad off the poor kid before she kills him! Stop the damn oro's and do something!" Sano shouted at Kenshin, his breath on Kenshin's face.

With that, Sano threw Kenshin over to the site where Kaoru was still struggling with Megumi and Megumi was slowly killing Soujiro who was muffling cries of help.

Yahiko stomped Sano's foot whom howled in pain and growled at him, "Don't call Kenshin a lame ass, you rooster-head!"

Sano let out curses that Captain Sagara would've gasped at and chased after Yahiko who dragged Tsubame with him.

This was how it started, how they added a member to their family. Seta Soujiro, or as Tsuzume and Ayame called him, Sou-ni, was part of this family and was half way through finding his truth. Now all he needed was love, love that wasn't found in family but in a single heart...

Hope you like it.

_Review if you'd like. Flame if you dare. Enjoy all you want. _


	2. Run For Your Life

**Author's Note: **Please don't sue, I don't own **RK** and if I did, I'd make Sou-chan & Misao- chan fall in love w/ each other becuz they look absolutely cute together! Aoshi's alrite, but c'mon, the man must be more than 12 years older than her! Get a life! She's 2 bright for him and he's 2 dark for her!

:Dodges objects being thrown by Misao/Aoshi lovers: Sorry! Continue reading!

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**Chapter 1:** Run for your Life

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The night was cold, icy as the tip of an icicle in winter. The moonlight shone dimly across the ground as an eerie yellowish mist circled the moon. The streetlights were on, but none of them helped to make her way any clearer.

She slipped and fell onto all fours, holding back the groan of pain and the tears of frustration. Getting back on her feet, she looked over her shoulder but couldn't see anything except the dim light of a street lamp. She began to run again, her bare feet slapping against the wet ground as her heart pounded in her ears. She heard the whistles and the muffled voices behind her, some around her. Fear devoured her and she took the ignition of running faster, not caring for the pain in her legs.

"You hear that? I think she's over here!" A voice closer than before called out to his colleagues, his footsteps louder.

_Faster, faster! Got to go faster_!

Running blind by the darkness, she ran over the edge of the street, and fell into the river, which was only calf-deep. She gasped loudly as she fell and landed on her behind. She looked around and saw the silhouette of a bridge. She stood up and shifted towards the bridge, hiding underneath the arched construction. She pressed herself against wall of dirt, keeping quiet and listened to the voices of the people after her.

Almost at once, the footsteps gathered around her, the click of their heels sounding off from the street and from the bridge. Two of them stood on the bridge, looking around to find their prey, while the other three walked around the street, still loitering around the area.

"You smell that? White plums...She's around here somewhere." A voice called out, his footsteps right above her. Soon, more of the stalkers were there surrounding her with no way to escape.

"How in the world did you lose her! I thought you said you were right behind her!" A raspy voice barked, pacing on the bridge while the others walked around looking for her.

Her veins rushed with fear, her heart pumped furiously with apprehension and her soul raged with anxiety. _Go away. Go away..._ She repeatedly prayed in her mind, her thoughts all based on the fear of getting caught.

"Oi, I think I found her!" A far cry told, getting their attention.

"You hear that, boys? Boss won't be mad after all!" The same raspy voice cackled as they all ran towards the voice, leaving behind a somewhat relieved girl.

She kept her senses sharp and waited until their retreating steps and voices were gone.

Her shaking calmed a bit but it wasn't gone, nor the pains in her legs and back. She let out a trembling breath of relief and quietly moved around in the water, getting away from the bridge.

The moon finally helped her, giving some weak light for her to see where she was and noted that she was between two streets that were connected by the low arched bridge. Climbing over to the street where the stalkers hadn't gone to, she checked with her eyes to see if anyone was around. She then turned around and ran once again.

Ran for her life.

The darkness took over and once again everything was black, she was running blind again. But that wouldn't stop her; she wasn't going to let a little darkness stop her so she continued to run. Bumping into walls, benches, street garbage and tripping over things wouldn't keep her from her goal, which was to keep her life.

She was wanted, wanted for crimes.

But what crimes? She didn't know what she had done.

In fact, she didn't know who she was.

All she knew was that the men who were after her, the same men who whipped her and beat her, wanted to kill her and even though she didn't know what life she led, she wanted to keep it.

Her body was pleading for her to stop, the abuse they had done to her and the running she was doing was taking its toll on her body.

What time was it?

Not a single person was outside and the moon was out, so it had to be midnight or early morning, she subconsciously thought.

If only she could just find help, everything would be all right.

Her legs and arms felt extremely heavy and her eyesight was getting blurry. Her ears rang and she was dizzy all of a sudden. Her head spun and she suddenly fell to her knees, her legs hurting immensely. She couldn't stop the black spots that came to view, nor how the world seemed to spin out of control.

"Help...Me..." She whispered to no one and fell into unconsciousness, darkness in darkness.


	3. Clouds of Confusion

**Author's Note:**

All I have are grapes, my mind, and what I'm wearing. It would be nice to have Soujiro warm me up cuz its cold as hell (ironic) in this room! But like I've said before, I don't own my Darling Baby-buggah boo (Sou) :(

This chick is bad! Bad like in Shishio bad! Innocent yes, but that's becuz she doesn't know who the hell she is! Why are there people wanting to kill her? How'd she end up in Tokyo? Who is she? Why does Sou fall for her? Why does she fall for Sou? Why is she one of Kenshin's enemies! Questions will be asked throughout reading ;) P.S - I have no clue if 'excuse me' is written correctly in Japanese, either its sumamisen or sumimasen, someone please tell me!

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**Chapter 2:** Clouds of Confusion

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Morning came, unstoppable as always.

Blue jays chirped along with the city's busy streets.

Morning rustles, unbreakable as usual.

Light beamed straight into her face, bruised and a bit swollen, getting a soft groan from her. She slowly fluttered her eyes open then closed them immediately as the sunlight shot straight to her eyes. The pain in her back came once again, but her legs weren't shrieking in soreness. She tried once more to open her eyes, and she managed it, squinting to see.

"Where... Where am I?" She thought out loud, her voice hoarse, as she slowly sat up.

She looked over her surroundings and noticed that she was in an alley, a dump to her eyes.

"Where the hell am I?" She moaned and stood up, sucking teeth from the pain in her back.

She searched her mind for any clues of where she might've been, but nothing popped up except the images of her torturers punishing her for crimes she didn't know about. She shook her head, trying to rid those thoughts and focused on finding a way out of the alley.

Taking slow and steady steps, she walked cautiously; the pain in her legs began to beat again. She perked her ears up and heard the normal, daily music of the city, its residents cluttering the streets. She moved towards the streets' rhythm and found herself outside of the alley and into the moving crowds of Tokyo.

She stopped and observed the area, her eyes never missing a beat. Flower carts at almost every corner, sellers advertising their merchandise, buyers in line for products, children chasing each other, mothers holding their child by the hand, small groups of young and old women gossiping as they walked; the normal chatter of the Tokyo life.

"Miss! Miss, over here! Would you like to buy some jewelry? Beautiful silver and ravishing gold, you'd look beautiful in it!"

"Fresh fish! Get your fresh fish here! Best salmon here! And at a great price! Sir, would you like some?"

"The latest kimonos right here in Tokyo's best store for women's clothes, Mimi's Kimonos!"

"Fresh and clean broccoli, cabbages, lettuce, carrots, all the greens!"

"Buy your lady a sweet rose, a daffodil if you'd like! How about a gentle tulip, two tulips if you wish!"

"Candles for decorations! Or candles for your praying! Candles for anything, right here in Tokyo!"

It was no wonder why they called Tokyo the heart of Japan.

"Tokyo..." She whispered to herself as she slipped into the crowds, walking with no particular direction.

She explored the city of Tokyo with her eyes of emerald with flecks of pure gold in them and their rims of light green.

It was a sight, this Tokyo, she thought.

She had no memory whatsoever of ever coming to Tokyo, she tried hard to find at least one but couldn't. No matter, the view she was getting now would make new ones.

She ignored the glances some passersby gave her; she knew she must've looked horrible. She past an open store that sold mirrors of all sizes and shapes and stopped turned around and headed to it.

"Sumamisen," She mumbled to each person she bumped into until she reached the mirror store and gasped at her own reflection as she stood in front of a full length mirror.

Horrible was an understatement!

Her long ebony hair had small twigs sticking out of it, with huge knots governing it. Extremely ruffled and hard was her once soft and silky black hair. She had a black eye and a broken lip and not to mention the scratches and dirt that covered her face. Her light green kimono that matched her eyes, with its large golden dragon in the back and the edges designed with gold-colored hill like lines, was torn and ripped at the hems and splattered with mud and dirt. The kimono's end was torn up to her knees, giving her space to move freely but was god-awful looking. She looked down at her feet and noticed the blisters and dirt that covered them and her hands that were dark with soil.

"Dear Gods..." She whispered in shock, she looked as if a typhoon had reigned on her!

"There's a lady down the corner to your right that sells kimonos and sandals as well, miss. You should go see her." A gentle, fatherly tone spoke, catching her attention.

She looked at the seller who smiled sympathetically at her and she returned the smile.

"Arigato, but I do not have money to buy anything." She bowed and told him.

The old man, bald with long silver whiskers frowned at her and sighed, "What a pity, miss. You would look marvelous in one of her kimonos. She's my wife, you see. But I'm sorry; I have no money to give you. No one has bought a mirror since three days ago, and that makes me short on money for my family. I wish I could help you."

She smiled gratefully at him and nodded at his words. "Don't worry, sir. I don't need money; your words have given me more than what I need to survive this day. I wish all the luck in the world that you have millions of customers buying your mirrors. Sayonara."

With that she bowed again and left, a sweet smile on her face.

_At least I know there are good people in the world. Gods, bless that man and his family for me_, she thought with a pure heart as she continued to walk around the streets, gazing at anything and everything.


	4. Crossing Paths

**Author's Note: **As you can see, I totally fixed this chapter. The grammar and the format were killing me, so I redid this chappie. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 3:** Crossing Paths

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Hunger was the feeling she felt.

Dehydrated was another. Dizzy and light-headed were there too.

Tired and stiff joined the party as well.

Had it been two hours or three? It felt like ten long years, walking around; looking for nothing.

If anyone would've stopped to ask her what was wrong, they would've immediately rushed her to the clinic. She looked as pale as a ghost and the fact that her eyes were fluttering lazily trying to keep open wasn't helping.

But she had to keep walking; she had to. Who knew what or who would pop out and try to kill her, like those bastards had tried to? For an instance she felt as though she was about to die, simply just to fall on her face in the middle of the street and die.

But no! She would not stop walking!

Hunger or dehydration, dizziness or light-headed nausea or the pain in her body wouldn't stop her from moving. Come hell or high water she would not stop walking!

"Yahiko get back here! Myoujin Yahiko come back!" A voice yelled above the crowd's chatter.

"Oh here comes the Kamiya girl, my Gods she is such a mess." A quiet voice whispered to two other girls in front her as she continued walking in the moving traffic of Tokyo.

"No! Look at me! I'm all wet and it's freezing cold out here, ugly!" A voice shouted almost behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and saw a young boy with furious brown eyes and drenched in water stomp behind her, cursing under his breath.

"Stupid Kaoru, always making me do stupid things. She can go screw herself." Were some of the things she caught him saying.

In the background she kept hearing the girl call for him but he ignored it.

"I can't believe she lets men sleep in her house. Who knows what they do?" Another girl whispered, causing gasps from her mates.

"I saw three men in her house! And my brother, he's a police officer, as you know; he said that the men never came out of her house! That they sleep there! How shameful!"

She rolled her eyes at the girls in front of her and continued walking, the boy still behind her.

"Yahiko! Yahiko, I'm sorry! Yahiko where are you?" The Kamiya girl called out but no response came from Yahiko, only more gossip from the prissy women.

She stopped walking, irritated by all the noise around her and the nausea she was having, and let the kid bump into her.

"Hey! Move it!" he growled, looking up.

She turned around, and smirked at the kid, who kept his glare on her. "I'll move it when you decide to answer to your sister, or whatever she is to you."

The people behind Yahiko glared at her and began to complain. "Oi, turn around and keep on walking! I've things to do!" A rude man snapped, pointing his words to her.

Irritation hit the overload button and all hell broke loose.

"MAKE A BRIDGE! I'M TALKING HERE ALL RIGHT? YOU WANNA GET BY, THEN GO AHEAD BUT I AIN'T MOVING! SO SHUT UP AND KEEP ON WALKING!"

People around them gasped, shocked to hear a girl say those things, but only Yahiko looked at her with a bit of admiration.

No one, not even Kaoru, had barked at someone else in public, especially someone whom she didn't know. The man huffed and did as he was told; somehow knowing she was not someone to mess with.

"Gods! People in Tokyo sure are _RUDE_ and _OBNOXIOUS_! Talking about people they DON'T KNOW! Like young women who act like LITTLE GIRLS!" She turned around and glared at the girls who were watching her with mouths wide open, they knew she was talking about them.

"The nerve!" One of the gasped, returning the glare.

"Yes, I'm glad you agree with me you selfish, feeble-minded, unsophisticated educated incorrectly, good for nothing brats! Get out of my face between I find a katana and chop off your hair!" She threw back, not realizing what she had said.

The girls' faces paled and their eyes grew huge. The crowd around gasped, hearing the yelled out words.

"A girl...swordsman?" The one with crooked, yellow teeth whispered.

Before she could respond with something, they all turned around on walked as fast as they could in their kimonos away from her.

"Morons." She growled lowly and turned back to Yahiko who was now gawking at her, his eyes full of sparkles.

"Y-You're a swordsman? I mean swordswoman?" He stammered, eyes gleaming.

She raised an eyebrow at him confused and shook her head in disagreement.

"What! Then why did you tell those girls that you would chop off their hair with a katana? Only swordsmen carry katanas, and only they know about swords! And swords are illegal in this age!" Yahiko yelled at her, a frown at his lips.

She stood quiet and thought about what he had said. Why exactly did she say that? _If what the kid is saying is true, then maybe I am a swordsman. Maybe that's why they were after me? That's possible...Right?_

Confusion was written all over face but Yahiko didn't pay attention to it. He just rolled his eyes at her and past by her, continuing to move.

A few moments later, still frozen, a girl dressed in training clothes moved in front of her, two wooden swords in her hands.

"Yahiko! Yahiko I'm sorry!" Her eyes seemed so sad, almost ashamed.

She woke up from her thoughts and stopped Kaoru when she began to move from her place.

"Is Yahiko a boy in wet clothes? A green gi and khaki hakama?" She asked and saw the relief in Kaoru's bright sapphire eyes.

"Hai, which way did he go?" Kaoru smiled widely, searching in the girl's eyes for an answer.

"Yeah, he went that way. You can just use ki-sensing to find him; his spirit energy is probably higher than everyone else in the crowd if you're teaching him swordsmanship, ne?" She spoke, once again shocking herself and the girl.

"How do you know about me teaching Yahiko swordsmanship?" Kaoru asked suspiciously, how did the girl know that? She started to say things but they were all incoherent.

Kaoru looked at her with a weird face and then past by her, switching her thoughts to finding Yahiko.

She stood there and sighed, her stomach growling again. "Better find food and fast." She mumbled to herself beginning to walk again, the thoughts of her being a swordsman still there.

She smelled the wonderful scent of fresh cooked rice and hot miso soup, drooling inwardly. If only she had money! But it seemed as the Gods were against her and left her with no miracles or chances. Getting her mind off the swordsman thoughts and her senses off the smell of food, she decided to find a way into the forest where she could at least bathe and try to nurse her injuries. So far she hadn't been caught nor found any perils around her as she walked around the streets, but soon she would. Soon…


	5. Love & Hatred

**Author's Note:** I'm trying to turn up the pace and bond things together. You'll see what happens, and I hope you like it! Another bonding chapter but with clues at the end. Enjoy! And no...I don't own **RK

* * *

**

**Chapter 4:** Love and Hatred

* * *

"Yahiko I'm sorry! Just talk to me!"

Kaoru called to him plodding behind the boy who continued to march with his arms crossed over his chest, ignoring her pleas. She had caught up to him somehow knowing that he would head back to the dojo rather than wander around town.

But Yahiko hadn't spoken to her ever since she laughed at his clumsiness at the river.

They had been practicing on the lesson of keeping concentration and skill balanced in the middle of a grave situation. The edges of her lips twitched a bit as she thought on the scene, continuing to follow Yahiko.

* * *

:**FLASHBACK:**  
_  
"Concentrate! Don't think about the water around you or the fall you might make, just focus on your goal and don't lose any strength during that concentration!"_

_Kaoru ordered analyzing Yahiko's every move._

_Yahiko lost his temper tired of hearing Kaoru screech at him. What the hell was he doing anyways! Standing on a log that's floating in the river had nothing to do with being a swordsman! _

_"Shut up, Ugly! Your stinkin' voice is so damn annoying! Just shut that big raccoon mouth of yours and let me focus!" He barked at her, getting the raven-haired girl to roll her sapphire eyes._

_"Whatever Yahiko. You think you know everything about the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, but guess what... **YOU DON'T**! Stop disrespecting your master and do what I tell you to! Now **you** shut up and run back and forth on that friggin' log before I decide to get on it and push you off it!" _

_Yahiko glared at her and huffed, mumbling curses. He took his eyes off the water and raced over the log, back and forth._

_"Good!" Kaoru smiled, watching her student skittishly run on the log, his hands holding the wooden sword in a battle stance posture._

_"Now imagine there's a man behind you, a ninja! He's throwing you a roundhouse kick!" She continued to lesson, inattentively nodding as she watched Yahiko dodge the invisible move and continued running. _

_Long minutes kept on like this, more moves to block and counter-attack, more men to defend himself from. She began to add more and more attackers, until Yahiko had to fight four at once. _

_"Ugly, relax! Damnit I can't...do…so... many!" Yahiko exclaimed between moves. _

_Once and twice he'd lose a bit of balance but Kaoru paid no mind to that or to his complains. _

_"If you wanna become a great swordsman like Kenshin then you have to be able to do this! Stop acting like such a wuss and just do what I tell you to do!" Kaoru remarked and… burst into laughter when Yahiko was going to turn to face her and took a wrong step falling into the water face first!_

_Kaoru was dying of laughter, holding her sides from the pain she got of laughing. _

_Yahiko surfaced spurting water, his hair flat on his head covering his face. He swam furiously towards the shore, and pushed himself up onto the ground, still sputtering water. Kaoru was now on her knees in hysterical giggles, tears down her cheeks._

_"Y-Yahiko. T-T-That was h- hilarious! P-Perfect... Way t-to s-show your s-s-swordsmanship!" She laughed while gasping for air._

_Yahiko stood up, heaving as he glared at Kaoru. He tossed the bokken down and let out his anger. _

_"I hate you, Kaoru! You're the worst master ever! I quit! I don't wanna be your damn student anymore! You can't even teach right! I'm sick of your crap and I won't take it anymore! Laugh all you want 'cause I don't care! And I don't care about your dumb ass lessons! So go to hell!"_

_Kaoru stopped laughing, a scolding face on. Yahiko stood there still eyeing her but just one look at him, dripping in water, sent her into giggles again. _

_She really didn't think he meant all those things, but that was where she was wrong. _

_Yahiko dashed right past her, running away._

_Kaoru, realizing that maybe she needed to apologize to him, got back on her feet and jogged after him, slowly afterwards figuring out that Yahiko was dead serious._  
**  
:FLASH END**:

* * *

The dojo was right up ahead and the last thing she needed was to have everyone get involved with the problem. She wanted to show everyone that she wasn't just some eighteen year-old who acted like a kid sometimes, she wanted them to know that she could behave and be a young, serious woman whenever possible. Kenshin already knew that, but the others didn't. It was as if they still thought she was the same weak girl who cried herself to sleep when Kenshin left to fight Makoto Shishio.

Kaoru accelerated and caught up to Yahiko, getting a glare from him.

"What do you want?" He spat out, bitterness in his words.

Kaoru sighed, ashamed of herself and placed a hand on his shoulder, which was shrugged off. Kaoru frowned at his action and got in front of him, placing a hand on his chest to stop him from moving, and surprisingly Yahiko halted.

"Yahiko, I'm sorry." She apologized again and got eye rolls from the eleven year-old.

"I don't care, Ugly. I rather hang myself than listen to you. Move."

They looked into each other's eyes, blue meeting with brown, both hurt.

"I know that, Yahiko. I know that. But you have to listen to me; because it's the only time I'll ever say this. I was wrong, and you were right, Yahiko."

Yahiko froze and showed a puzzled look, "What?" He asked, not sure of she said.

Kaoru repeated herself and got a sigh from Yahiko. "Ugly, you're just saying that to make me feel better and to get me to forgive you."

Kaoru shook her head in disagreement and smiled softly at him. "Yahiko, I only do this once in a blue moon. I'm doing this because it's true. It was wrong for me to laugh at you and to say that to you, you were doing better than I thought. And you were right when you said that I'm not a good master. I don't know how to be one and I'm seeing that now. But I don't want your pity, Yahiko. I just want you to accept my apology."

Yahiko looked down at the ground and wiggled his toes that lay underneath the wet socks.

Kaoru shuddered a shaky breath and waited for Yahiko to say something, but nothing came for some time.

Kaoru held back tears, feeling really embarrassed and down in the dumps. She knew she wasn't a good master or teacher to Yahiko, nothing compared to her father. His shoes were too big to fill and she knew it. And now she was positive that the fact was correct.

Yahiko looked up and met with Kaoru's, a small smile playing on his lips getting Kaoru confused.

"Kaoru, you're not a bad teacher. If you were bad, I'd be living somewhere else getting lessons from another dojo. You're alright for a teacher. And I'm sorry for saying those things."

Kaoru smiled widely and abruptly hugged Yahiko. He stood frozen, surprised, and then slowly hugged her back. They stood there for a while, embraced in that one sibling moment.

"Kaoru. You can let go of me now." Yahiko smirked and laughed when Kaoru pushed him off of her.

"Whatever, Yahiko!" Kaoru laughed and let out a breath of relief.

She handed Yahiko his bokken back and smiled heartily as they continued to walk to the dojo.

"Hey Yahiko, did you know that you just called me Kaoru?" She smirked at Yahiko who rolled his eyes.

"Yea, and? Is that your name or is it Ugly?"

Kaoru stopped in her tracks and a flying punch to Yahiko who was nailed right in the chin and landed on his face with swirling eyes.

"That'll teach you!" Kaoru growled, inside her heart knowing that everything was all right and that they didn't hate each other.

Yahiko got up and rubbed his throbbing chin and playfully glared at Kaoru who returned the gesture. It was nice to have everything back again...or so they thought.

"Good afternoon raccoon girl, brat. Isn't it a bit cold to be jumping in rivers? November's in winter, not spring or summer morons."

A sarcastic voice spoke, startling both of them. They turned their faces to find one of their enemies standing in front of them with a malicious smirk.

Haijime Saitoh, former leader of the third squad of the Shisengumi, stood before in his police uniform, a sword in his hand, unsheathed.

"Why are you here?" Yahiko snarled, getting up from the ground.

Kaoru placed a hand on his shoulder, warning him not to do anything dumb.

Saitoh opened his very narrowed eyes, exposing their amber color and answered the rude question.

"That's none of your preadolescent business, Myoujin. You're lucky I haven't caught you alone without someone to protect you, if not you'd be in the river floating to hell."

Kaoru gasped and tightened her grip on Yahiko's shoulder blade, feeling the kid's muscles tense up. She decided to take action before anything happened; Saitoh was not someone to mess with.

"Haijime-san, if you're looking for Battousai, he's not here. But Kenshin Himura is. This is my residence, and no man of whatever sort will step into my home looking for trouble. If you want to come in and speak with Kenshin, then you leave your sword with me. If not, you have to swear on your Shisengumi fighters that you will not harm Kenshin or anyone in my house. Is that clear?" She spoke firmly keeping a hard stare on Saitoh.

No one spoke for a while, waiting for Saitoh's decision that took a while to come.

Saitoh gave Kaoru a deadly glare yet spoke calmly, "I hope you know I can arrest you at anytime I want for any silly reason... but every road has its bumps."

Both Kaoru and Yahiko relaxed a bit and waited until Saitoh had given Kaoru his sword to enter the dojo, where all hell would start.

Why was Haijime Saitoh there? What did he want with Kenshin? Was it for another battle? Was it another mission?

All those questions thundered inside Kaoru's head as she lead Saitoh inside, praying to the Gods that all would be alright.

Would it?

Kenshin was outside, tending to the porch of the dojo, a broom in his hand as his back faced the coming people. He was humming a song his mother had sung to him at night and swept with gladness. But once the strong ki was close enough to sense, his whole body tensed and he stopped sweeping. Still with his back faced towards the visitors, he knew only one person with that ki energy so diabolic and high: his archenemy of the revolution.

Controlling the Battousai in him, Kenshin turned around and met with him once again.

"Konnichiwa, Battousai. Your woman, excuse me, _little girl_, invited me in. Unfortunately, she's one smart raccoon and she took my sword, so you won't die today." Saitoh commented, smirking when he sensed Kaoru's spirit energy rise.

Kenshin acted to be untouched by his words, but inside, the Battousai wanted out so he could wring Saitoh's head for talking about Kaoru that way. No one is this world would live to ridicule his beloved like that again; Battousai would make sure of that.

"I agree with you on the terms that Miss Kaoru is very intelligent. We'd all be lost without her; she's very important and special to us." _And you'd be sushi if it weren't for me meeting her, you sick son of a ---  
_  
"Let's get down to business. It's really not that big of a deal to talk to you in private about it. I'm sure you know what it is…but then again, how could you? You're Kenshin, the man in pink, not Battousai, the real swordsman."

Yahiko was going to let out horrible curses but Kaoru placed a hand over his mouth; now was not the time to do or say anything foolish.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed a bit in offense but he kept his cool. "What is it that you want from me, Saitoh?" He said with no emotion in his words.

Saitoh cracked his knuckles and gave another one of his wolf smirks.

"I'm not here for you, Battousai. I'm here for him…

Soujiro no Tenken."


	6. Starting A Fire

**Author's Note:** I have to admit this has got to be the suckiest chapter I've ever written in my entire life! But bear with me please. I promise, cross my heart hope to die, that the next chapter will be waaaaay better! Please just read and review, I would love you forever if you did! Thanks again for even reading my crap. I've been going nuts doing sports week and all the school work I have and everything else in my life that I've been soooo uncreative when it comes to my story. But no more, I say! Ok I'ma shut up now. And no... Luckily for those Misao/Aoshi lovers I do not own **RK**.

:sticks out tongue:

* * *

**Chapter 5: **Starting a Fire

* * *

All of them except Saitoh stood rooted to the ground, shock and fear bursting in them.

Kaoru's eyes widened. Yahiko's back straightened up. Kenshin's throat became dry.

Saitoh seemed amused by their tactics watching their every move as he stood there feeling very formidable.

The cold wind seemed to be icy rather than a simple cool breeze, catching whispers of the people of Tokyo. The sun beamed high in the sky, directly at the small group that kept still while time passed. Not a single word came out of anyone's mouth, not a single syllable. They were moved immensely by the Wolf's words.

Kenshin reacted fast after those frozen moments and attacked wisely. "Isn't he dead, along with the rest of the former Juppon Gatana?"

Saitoh kept his smirk on, knowing the game that Kenshin was trying to bat in, but Saitoh's pitches were out of Kenshin's league. "If he were dead would I be wasting my time coming to this run down place and ask you for information that I already know?"

Kenshin loosened his grip on the broom and sighed, inwardly trying to relax his muscles and hide his shaken ki. "You are always full of surprises, Saitoh. I really don't know how to answer that question."

Saitoh glared irritated and continued with his duty. "Battousai, where's the boy? We both know he's here and he's coming with me. So cut the bullshit and give me the kid."

Kenshin walked down the steps and handed the broom to Yahiko who was as still as a statue, afraid of what might happen. Kenshin seeing the fright in both Kaoru and Yahiko, he smiled sincerely and as calm as possible he spoke to them, "Miss Kaoru will you please make some tea? And Yahiko please sweep the training hall, I need that clean." Both nodded and proceeded to their deeds leaving Kenshin and Saitoh alone.

Both men stared at each other dead in the eye.

The taller one with his eyes of gold flashing in the sun lost his smile and took on the face of the infamous Wolf.

The shorter one, with his fiery red hair blowing in the direction of the wind, kept his cool never feeling intimated by the height of the Wolf. "I know why you're here, Saitoh...You want another fight, but it's not going to happen. Not here at least."

In the blink of an eye, Kenshin's eyes took form from a dark purple shade to a bright lilac with irises extremely small; Pre-Battousai speaking for Kenshin, amusing Saitoh even more.

Kenshin took a step closer to Saitoh and looked up, never breaking the eye contact and spoke in a deadly voice, bringing back old memories of the revolution. "And if you **ever** insult Kaoru again, I will turn you inside out and make sure your whole bloodline lives pure hell until I die. Do **not **mess with me, Haijime. Don't _fuck_ with me; I'm not the same man you fought a long time ago. Because if you keep thinking that, you'll surely die quick."

Saitoh glared at him, ignoring that Battousai was almost out of his cage.

"Battousai, I will insult whoever I wish to, and you take your own advice wisely as well. I don't give a damn if you're a God in disguise. Don't threaten my family or it'll be you who die a quick death. Haijime Saitoh is afraid of no one and nothing. Remember that, Battousai. Engrave it in your mind and carve it in stone if you need to, but do not forget."

Both warriors' spirit energy blew high into the sky yet they never spoke another word until long minutes later. The tension was clearly there and not even the cold weather could cool it down.

Kenshin, well Battousai, his eyes now amber, opened his mouth once again. "Seta Soujiro is not here, and if he were you'd be able to sense his ki now wouldn't you?"

Saitoh narrowed his eyes even more and stood quiet, searching for Soujiro's ki but found none except the people that lived in the dojo.

"I'm watching you, Battousai. The Wolf of the Shisengumi doesn't miss a thing. I know he's here somewhere and if he's not, he'll surely come to you later. I'd bet my life on it. I'll be watching." With that Saitoh turned on his heel and withdrew from the dojo.

Battousai kept his honed senses sharp and waited till he was absolutely sure that Saitoh had gone. Once he did, he let out a breath he subconsciously had and closed his eyes, his way of putting Battousai back into his solitary cage.

He thought of Kaoru when she was crying as Saitoh and he battled in the dojo; her body hunched over the floor as she begged for him to stop… and of the night when he had said goodbye to her, only to her. He still vividly saw those memories after all that time, but of course he'd see them clearly, Kaoru meant the world to him.

She was the air he breathed, the heart he lived with, the light in his life. He loved her madly, deeply, and truly. He'd die a thousand times and live eternities in hell if it meant having her near him.

Kenshin reopened his eyes, now their normal shade of purple, the Rurouni back in place. He treaded to the gates and locked them, not caring if it was only around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and that Sano would soon be coming back for lunch.

With that done, he continued his path to the training hall where Soujiro had been cleaning all that time during the confrontation.

* * *

There he found his three companions, two of them with eyes of fright.

Kaoru rushed over to Kenshin and subconsciously let she run her hands over his face and hands checking for any signs that would show that he had fought.

"Kenshin, are you alright? Did he hit you? Did you fight? Don't tell me you fought, please tell you didn't! It'd be the last thing for me, having you fight that man again. Are you hurt? Don't lie to me Kenshin or I swear I'll hurt you even more than he did! Curse that man! But are you sure you're alright?"

Kenshin laughed, mentally asking himself if Kaoru's speech went faster than Soujiro's Shukuchi.

He gently grabbed Kaoru's questioning hands off his face and locked eyes with her. "Sessha is fine, Miss Kaoru, that I am." He sweetly spoke, pouring love out of his lips.

Kaoru blushed furiously and bowed her head in embarrassment. Kenshin wondering why she did that gesture tried finding a reason and he too blushed when he noticed it.

He had laced their fingers together.

Dropping their hands quickly, he scratched the back of his head and chuckled dumbly. "I'm sorry Miss Kaoru." He smiled that Rurouni smile of his.

Kaoru nodded, hurt inside by his actions of dropping their hands so quickly, and moved out of his way.

"Himura-san, what happened?" Soujiro questioned, seeming depressed.

Kenshin moved towards him and sighed, "Saitoh somehow found out that you're here. But he's not quite sure, I think. But everything's all right now. All we need to do is make sure we keep a low profile on you, Soujiro. I'm sure Saitoh will kill you the moment he has you alone with him. Saitoh has always been like that, ever since I met him in the revolution."

Soujiro gave a smug smile and sheathed his sword that he had out in case that Saitoh might've come in.

Yahiko had dashed to the training hall where Soujiro stood with a dust brush in his hand. Yahiko had quickly told him who was outside and what he wanted. Soujiro took a defensive posture with his sword out and nodded. He knew that someone very powerful was outside with Kenshin, he had felt the ki from all the way outside and so he covered his like he used to before. Kaoru then came and they all three kept quiet in the room, ready for anything.

"Mr. Saitoh would have to catch me first to kill me." Soujiro cracked a simple joke trying to break through the tension in the room.

Kenshin smirked and sighed once again, "Well we can all relax now. There's nothing to worry about...Yahiko why are you wet?" Kenshin asked, now realizing that the student of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was soaked in water.

Kaoru's lips twitched again and before any one knew it, she let out a loud laugh beginning her reign of hysterical laughter once again.

Yahiko fumed and turned to Kaoru, screaming at the top of his lungs at her, letting out curses and threats. Both swordsmen watched in puzzlement as Yahiko blew his top off and yelled at Kaoru while the young assistant manager of the Kamiya Kasshin Style laughed her head off.

Yep, there was nothing to worry about; it was obvious to those two.

But to the other two standing in the room with the wheels in their heads turning, there was plenty to worry about…

Haijime Saitoh would surely come back and not alone, and leave every stone turned to find Soujiro. He was definitely not someone to take lightly. What added more to the problems was **THE** question: _When_ would he come back?

"Soujiro...I know what you're thinking…And I'm telling you now.. Miss Kaoru would hang both you and me if you dare step out of this house and leave. She'd have my head if I let you leave, so don't think about it." Kenshin whispered, making sure that Kaoru and Yahiko would not listen, they were still at it.

Kenshin kept his puzzled expression on as he talked to Soujiro who did his trademark gestures. Soujiro once again was surprised by Kenshin; the man never ceased to amaze him. How had he known that he was thinking of leaving?

_Because he's the Battousai, _a voice in his head spoke. Soujiro had quickly thought of leaving the dojo to save his 'family' the trouble that they would go through with Saitoh. He did not want to get them in trouble with the law nor cause any commotion.

"Mr. Himura, it'd be better this way. Like you said before, the love that I feel for everyone here won't allow me to hurt you, so this love that I have is trying to make the right decision."

Kenshin glanced at Soujiro and sighed, "But you're not making the right one. You'll hurt your family even more if you leave. Trust me on that, I know."

Soujiro nodded but still had doubts, he would not let any harm come to the people he loved, no matter what.

Kaoru suddenly punched Yahiko right in the chin and fumed over him, catching their attention.

"Miss Kaoru, I think Yahiko has gotten his punishment that I do." Kenshin got in, knowing the look in Kaoru's blue eyes.

She turned to him and gave him a deadly glare. "I'd stay out of this Kenshin, if I were you."

Kenshin animatedly sweat-dropped and laughed nervously while Soujiro laughed, "Yahiko's doomed."

"SHUT UP, TENKEN! ONCE SHE'S DONE WITH ME, I'LL GET TO YOU!" Yahiko shouted, standing up from his fall.

Unfortunately for him, Kaoru had speed beyond what people thought and she was right on his tail as he zoomed out of the training hall.

Kenshin and Soujiro would not speak of the topic of him leaving ever again, for Kenshin thought that Soujiro understood, but the thoughts still ran in both men's heads…

They continued with their doings, the dojo back in order.

"Hey Kenshin, I'm hungry! I don't smell no damn onegiri!" A male voice boomed, getting Kenshin to face fault.

"Don't I get a break."? Kenshin playfully whined, swirls for his eyes.

"Will you shut up? Gods you're loud! Sir Ken doesn't have to cook for you, you low life drunkard!" Sanosuke and Megumi began their bickering loud and clear, now getting the dojo really back in schedule.

"Oh Sou-chan! Where are you darling? Megumi came to see you, sweetie!" Stopping the dust brush in mid air, Soujiro gulped and prayed that Megumi wouldn't start groping him or get all girlish on him.

But of course that prayer never reached the heavens; it would go against Megumi's.

"Gods…."

* * *

**Author's Note: **As I was fixing up this chapter (yet again), I noticed one of the lines: "Mr. Himura, it'd be better this way. Like you said before, the love that I feel for everyone here won't allow me to hurt you, so this love that I have is trying to make the right decision."

….I realized that I was missing a chapter. This quote, exerted from this episode, comes from a previous chapter where Soujiro is cooking supper for the gang. It's an all-Soujiro chapter, where we get to see how he is handling himself with the Kenshin gumi that have accepted him as a very loved member of the family. Seeing that this very introspective chapter is missing in this story, I shall give a synopsis on it so those who wonder just what the hell did Soujiro meant in the quote.

As I mentioned, Soujiro was cooking up dinner for his new family but he was having some trouble getting it done. For those who reviewed the chapter, you said that Soujiro was cute and adorable. Indeed he was. :smiles: he even cursed in this "forgotten" chapter! He was frustrated by the fact that he had been having nightmares about slaughtering his new family. He could not get rid of those thoughts and he was very disturbed by them. He did not want to harm his family, you see, and was worrying about the future…if he would indeed slay them. The chapter gives vivid details on these nightmares, how the characters are killed, very gruesome I tell you. Our favorite redhead comes into the kitchen and persuades Soujiro to tell him what was bothering him. Soujiro spills and Kenshin comforts. He tells our cute little Tenken to call him Kenshin when Soujiro (for once my memory is serving me well) calls him "Mr. Kenshin." As you can tell, he's still not used to calling Kenshin, _Kenshin_. Kenshin tells Soujiro that if he did love his family, he'd be able to control that desire to kill (in where Soujiro frowns and comments that he doesn't have any desire to kill and Kenshin, as a result, smiles) because that love that he feels won't let him hurt his family and friends. Soujiro, now feeling quite relieved and enlightened by his role model, smiles and watches as Kenshin leaves to go do laundry.

So that chapter establishes what Soujiro now feels.

That's all I wanted to clear up! Keep reading, folks:waves good bye:


	7. A Rare Treasure

**Author's Note: **I revised the chapter just a bit and decided to keep my random outbursts in my writing because….well, they remind me of how childish I was two years ago. Not that I regret being that childish in my writings, but it's kinda cool to see how I've changed these past two years….Memories, whether happy or sad, should never be changed, they remind you of what you've been through and what you've learned. Remember that you guys :smiles: and yeah, even after two years of begging…I still don't own **Rurouni Kenshin** _and _Soujiro.

* * *

**Chapter 6: **A Rare Treasure

* * *

Hisses escaped her lips as she tried keeping her groans inside. Gently she stroked the wet piece of cloth on her arm, continuing to hiss as the pain rushed through her. Blood slowly leaked out of her wounds, creating a small circle of it around her as she stood in the middle of a large pond, trying to keep focus on the calm waterfall that stood in front of her. The pain was slowly going away with each passing she gave to the wounds with the cloth.

Biting her lip, she closed her emerald green eyes and tried relaxing, but how could she? The sweetness of the water kept stinging her up to her waist, where she was covered in bruises and scratches. Nude in the middle of a forest, bathing in a waterfall was the least of her concerns; her mind was too occupied with the thoughts on who she was.

With every guess she took, she kept ending up at dead ends. Her mind seemed to not comprehend anything that she was thinking; drawing blanks whenever she tried coming up with a logical reason on her life.

Who was she?

Where did she come from?

What was she?

Why were they after her?

Why did they torture her?

All she knew, unfortunately, was that she could not remember anything.

"Damnit," she sighed and stopped thinking, deciding to concentrate on her wounds.

The birds flew above her, singing their songs, and the soft breeze of the afternoon soothed her. She didn't care if it was November and that it was winter, that didn't concern her.

What was really strange, she thought, was the weather. There were only cold freezing nights and chilling winds, but no snow. They should've had snow by now…

She shrugged her shoulders and carefully rubbed the cloth that she had torn off from her shredded kimono on her back. That was when she noticed it. The scar she had on her back.

She pulled in her left shoulder a bit more and looked over it, the scar that looked more like a carving.

It wasn't like the others marks she had on her body, it was very different…She gasped as she realized that the scar was a carving!

It was a name…

Her name.

She whispered it and just doing that brought tears to her eyes.

Ayame...That was her name.

She touched her name and caressed it as if it was a rare treasure that she had finally found after years and years of searching. But that was exactly how she felt; she had found a rare treasure.

"Ayame…My name is Ayame."

Ayame smiled to herself quietly and abruptly broke down, covering her face with her hands. She felt so happy, so blissful. She finally had a clue on who she was, and it couldn't have been a better clue. She cried her heart out, inwardly thanking the Gods for answering her prayer.

"Thank you, thank you so much Gods…Thank you so very much…" She sobbed, feeling some of the weight on her shoulders fall off.

A little while later, she stopped her tears and happily continued her nursing. She hummed a song she had heard a little girl sing in the town, where the child sat on the steps of a store and played with her doll. The pain wasn't as excruciating as it was before, which made her day even brighter.

Finishing with her wounds, she held her breath and plunged under water, swimming through the large lake. Keeping her eyes open, she observed the wonderful world of the lake and moments later came up again, grinning widely. She moved her hair of her face and wiped the sweet water from her eyes. The moment she opened those bright green eyes of her…she regretted it.

There, smirking maliciously, were the men that had chased her the other night.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Very short chapter. I probably got it from James Patterson's form of writing (Check his stuff out, it's awesome!). 

Don't be surprised when you see the chapters in his books, way short. But whatever, I thought to get some action boiling, I'd stop things at the good part.

:D Yes I'm a female dog:p I hope u enjoy it, and please read and review!

By just simply writing a couple of words, sending me feedback sends me straight into creativity and inspiration. I don't care if they're flames (they hurt, but ok) or ideas or questions or (the best) nice comments, just review, please God ). Well I'ma stop rambling n let u enjoy this mini chapter. Oh yea and one more thing... MARLINS WON! WHOOO! YEAH BABY! WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE AINT SOME STUPID STATE WITH A SUCKY BASEBALL TEAM! U GOING DOWN YANKEES! Um ok, sorry. :P


	8. Darkest Before Dawn

**Author's Note: **Ok you guys I need reviews on this one guys cuz I have no clue if I did well on it or not. Remember, I can take anything becuz im Dwayne Wade's wife :super smile:

I hope that y'all enjoy the chapter and sorry for not updating earlier its that im having trouble with my dumb ass network connections! Stupid Bellsouth!

Oh and Kari, no this isn't the same Ayame from Dr. Genzai. The little one will appear in the next chapter I think, but then again maybe not.

But ne wayz..the show must go on, oh and I don't own **RK** becuz I'm just a marlins' and a Miami Heat fan with no money. Woot!

* * *

**Chapter 7: **Darkest Before Dawn

* * *

There stood the three of them, gaping at her nudity with evil and perverted expressions on their faces.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as goose bumps skated on her body, how had they found her!

She stared at them, frightened. Was she going to die? Would she be dropped onto death's doorstep again? Was she going to get out the mess she was frequently in? How would she? How could she? How should she?

Questions rushed through her head but they made no sense to Ayame, her mind wasn't switched on properly.

"Hey cutie, long time no see… You're beautiful you know that?" The man in the middle, the shortest of them, spoke to her, his dark brown eyes traveling over her body.

"You've been a very bad girl, Ayame. A very bad girl, indeed." The tallest with his pale almost translucent skin commented getting the others to chuckle.

She heard her name from another person's mouth and that snapped her out of it.

Her eyes narrowed in anger and she began to swim towards them, never breaking the eye contact with the tall one.

The last one with extremely yellow teeth showing and his eyes with the darkest of bags under his eyes remarked, "Look, she's coming! Boy, isn't she an obedient little bitch?"

The others laughed in agreement and their smiles got even wider when Ayame reached the shore and gracefully walked out of the water, her body dripping in sweet water.

Their breath was caught in their throats, their bodies frozen in delight. Even with the bruises and scabs pasted on some parts of her figure she was still breath taking, especially with those cat eyes of hers.

"You sick bastards." She hissed lowly and in the blink of an eye she stooped down and grabbed a large stick that she had known all along was there.

The men snapped out of their fantasies and became infuriated. "Why you little-" The one in the middle yelled and charged at her but was stopped when she slammed the hard branch that looked like a miniature log against the side of his head with all her might. He went down, unconscious.

The others shocked, now believing what their boss had told them, unsheathed their swords and took a battle stance.

"You're coming with us whether you like it or not." The tall one spoke, his voice cracking a bit. The other nodded nervously and gripped his sword tightly trying to stop the weapon from shaking in between his sweaty palms.

Ayame, ignoring their words, walked towards them and crouched down, swept them off their feet with her leg and stood up again.

She saw them cower below her, trembling in fear. "Don't hurt us, Ayame! Please!" They begged, one of them crying.

"Don't say my name!" Ayame yelled enraged even more and abruptly raised the branch above her head and sent it down on their heads, sending them into unconsciousness.

But she didn't stop there.

She began to beat them with the branch, anger taking over her. All she was red, how dare they say her name, her precious name! Dirt like them didn't deserve that right!

"Don't ever say my name!" She continuously yelled at the limp bodies and stopped when she got tired.

She threw away the branch and caught her breath, looking down on them.

Her narrowed eyes slowly widened and she realized what she had done.

She got on her knees and reached for the closest one and turned him on his back, then placed her ear onto his chest… And found no heartbeat.

Ayame froze in shock and scrambled to the other one and did the same thing.. And found the same result.

She stood up and shook with fear and shock, she killed them. She was a killer.

She looked at her trembling hands looked back at them. Gods she had killed! She was an assassin!

She didn't mean to kill them she just wanted payback!

Ayame walked quickly to where her clothes were and began to dress herself. The girl kept glancing at the dead bodies and panicked all the while.

_You're a killer!_

_You killed them! _

_Murderer!_

She finished dressing up and went back to their dead bodies and looked at them one last time. The other one, she knew was alive and would wake up later on, but those two…they wouldn't.

But they had tried to kill her! They tortured her almost to the brink of death; she was just returning the favor... Right?

Ayame decided to stick with that and snatched the short one's sandals and placed them on and ran away, ran as fast as she could.

Ran as she did when they had chased her the night before.

Branches and twigs slapped against her face as she flashed through the forest that would haunt her forever, where she became a killer.

She tripped and fell a couple of times but paid no mind, all she wanted to do was to get away from the scene, from the place that would haunt her dreams at night forever on...

Minutes and long minutes of straight running, she finally found an opening that led her out of the forest and into the outskirts of the town.

_I have to run. I have to run!_ She screamed inwardly forcing her tired body to run as fast the wind or even faster.

Ironic wasn't it..? Well it would be. (heh heh)

Minutes later, she reached the town but that wasn't enough. She had to get away from there, from Tokyo.

Gods, a new thought came to her, when the others that hunted for her saw or realized that their pals were gone or dead, they would know for sure that she was here and they would most certainly bring more hunters!

Tears whelmed up in her green eyes and began to drop as she ran through the crowds, not seeing where she went because the only thing she saw was the same image of those dead bodies. She bumped into people and pushed them but she didn't care. They shouted at her and complained but by the time they went to go turn around to see her, she was gone.

Abruptly she fell back and landed on her behind, waking her up from her thoughts.

"I'm so sorry, miss!" A voice cried out and stood above her, covering her from the bright sunlight.

Ayame looked up and met with soft and sweet eyes.

"I'm so very sorry, miss! Please forgive me! Let me help you up." The boy spoke, getting Ayame to stutter, "It's alright."

The boy gave her a hand that she took and was surprised to notice how easily he pulled her up.

"Are you alright miss? Please forgive me, I'm so clumsy!" He smiled and looked at her with the kindest eyes ever.

"Miss?" He asked noticing that she wasn't speaking anymore.

"Huh? Oh yes, I'm alright." She sputtered, keeping her eyes on his. "

Are you sure?"

He gave her a worried face and got a nod from her.

The young man quickly observed her and noticed her state of health; she was definitely in need of a lot of things.

"Miss… what happened to you?" He questioned her getting her to shoot her head up.

She looked at him with a frightened expression and began to tremble for no reason, which he noticed. His smile went away and concern took over, as tears soaked up in her eyes.

"Miss?" He spoke lowly, almost a whisper.

Ayame tried speaking but incoherent words came out, puzzling him.

"I-I-I ki-ki-" With her sentence almost out, she suddenly fainted from the shock she had.

The boy quickly grabbed her by the waist, not letting her fall to the ground. His eyes crawled over her and he frowned, she was definitely not all right. He looked around the crowd, trying to see if anyone would notice her; if they were knew her but no, no one did.

Thinking quickly, he gripped the candles that he had in his hand and placed his hand under her knees, scooping her up.

He looked down at her and frowned deeper, "I got to get her to Dr. Genzai fast."

"Oi! Move it bozo!" A ponderous man behind yelled at him.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled, "I will."

With that he tapped his right foot a couple of times really fast and disappeared into thin air, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Shukuchi always did come in handy when he needed it.


	9. Ending & Starting

**Author's Note: **Please, I beg of you! Forgive me! I'm so sorry that I took so long to update. This chapter was killing me; I had no time to even complete a damn paragraph without someone interrupting me. Forgive this poor dimwit of a writer, wahhh!

Well, moving on…I wanna give thanks to my readers and my reviewers, cuz u guys keep me on my feet when it comes to this story :gives a round of applause: I promise romance between these two kiddies in one of the next 2 chapters! I swear it! I even got a damn memo on my fridge that tells me wut to do cuz I forget lol. But I hope y'all like this chapter, review for God's sakes, my fingers hurt its 10:45 at nite, im tired, im hungry and im sleepy ( and so my mind n fingers n my comp would be grateful if u reviewed…well enough blabbering about, the show must go on, so read!

**Disclaimer:** For God Sake's no I don't own RK, I love to but I can't afford it!

* * *

**Chapter 8: **Ending and Starting

* * *

Seeing everything in slow motion, he practically flew down the streets of Tokyo, easily dodging and gliding through the vast crowds that populated the city.

Shukuchi looked easy but it would never be; not even for him. With just one small, insignificant mistake, he could lose his life.

A small rock in the middle of nowhere, unseen by his sharp eagle eyes could make him trip, stumble and send his body flying at warp speed against anything that could kill him.

Even slamming against rice paper door after rice paper door after losing control of Shukuchi could cause his body colossal damage.

Luckily, Shukuchi was manageable, not easy, but not hard to control.

He had no battle scars; the ones that his former family had given him surprisingly left, but from sword fights…he had none. No one was able to cut him with his speed, much less catch him.

But everything in life is double edged, so though he was virtually untouchable, he was always chased by death.

Two winters ago, he subconsciously thought, running at the speed of light, he had almost died, after slipping off ice and sliding so fast onto an oak tree, slamming his chest against it with such force he broke a surplus amount of bones.

But that wouldn't happen now, he guessed. He had learned to rein his Shukuchi, making him unstoppable, untouchable, and inhuman.

It seemed like seconds to Soujiro as he instantly closed the gap between him and the gates of the Kamiya Dojo. He appeared back in sight right in front of the gates and kicked them open, then zoomed into the territory.

He sensed out the doctor's ki and went straight for her, arriving at the kitchen inside the residence where she sat drinking tea.

"Miss Megumi, she needs help." He hastily spoke, getting her attention.

Megumi stood up, retreating into her physician mode, and walked up to Soujiro who cradled the limp body in his arms. She felt Ayame's head and saw the perspiration on it, realizing the problem. "She has a fever. A Very high fever, do you know who she is?" Megumi commented getting Soujiro to shake his head in difference.

"Sou, is there something wrong? You zoomed in here like an animal." Kaoru popped into the room, sweaty from the exercise she was currently doing.

"Kaoru, get this child into a vacant room fast. She's very sick." Megumi continued confusing Kaoru but the young trainer did as she was told.

The others arrived and followed Kaoru who led them into a room down the hall. Kaoru quickly unrolled the futon at the corner and let Soujiro place the girl on it.

"What happened to her?" Yahiko pondered as the others did.

Megumi dropped to her knees and began her administrations, checking for pulse, other signs of illness and open wounds, which she found many.

"Miss Megumi, will she be alright?" Kenshin asked in his rurouni voice, truly feeling sorry for the poor girl who everyone noticed was covered in bruises from head to toe.

Megumi turned to him and answered with a solid voice, "With these bruises and her high fever, I really don't know." She then turned back to the girl and unpredictably ripped the front of her tattered up kimono with her bare hands, showing her chest that was sprayed with scabs and some small bruises.

Everyone except Megumi turned their heads away, taken aback at her tactics.

"Miss Megumi! What are you doing to her!" Kaoru scowled, uncomfortable with the situation.

"Areh..." Soujiro spoke below his breath as he kept his eyes on Kenshin's fiery hair, feeling really uncomfortable. Sanosuke whined about not being able to see some "pre-action", trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Get out everyone please. I don't think you would like to see this. Gods…." Megumi lowly said, hiding the shock she had from seeing the condition of the girl, it was as bad as Kenshin when he had battled Makoto Shishio.

They nodded and left, praying the girl would be all right.

"Wait! Someone go to the clinic and get my things!" Megumi cried out as they went outside.

"I'll go." Kenshin without thought said, but Soujiro stopped him, "I'm the fastest, I'll go."

Kenshin agreed and watched as everyone else did as Soujiro rapidly tap his foot and in the blink of an eye, vanish in thin air with a sound, his footsteps unheard.

"Hurry!" Megumi yelled, carrying the words to Soujiro's ears whom even though was out the gates, could pick them up and nod as he flew down the street enclosed by blurs of colors.

He hoped, he really hoped, that the girl would survive the fever. He had seen enough death, as it was, whether slaughtering or sickness, he was exhausted with all the demise he went through.

He reflected back on her, pinpointing her eyes. They were a gorgeous color… that metallic green sprinkled in gold specks and the light green rim around those eyes. They weren't like normal shaped eyes; they were almost from another culture, Egyptian if so…big and Egyptian.

Hopefully, those eyes would get to see the light of another day. Her life depended on his swiftness, he analyzed, pushing his body to the limit. _They're counting on me. She's counting on me_… He chanted like a mantra as he invisibly sprinted around Tokyo.

Meanwhile back at the dojo, where the doctor silently performed what she did best on Ayame.

Kaoru and Kenshin had brought a pail of water and towels then left Megumi alone as they waited outside the room. Megumi mutely did her work; trying to do her best without her much needed supplies. She draped a soaked small towel on Ayame's sun hot forehead and gently washed her wounds that began to bleed freely.

"Gods…let her live." She quietly requested, not sure if what she was doing would save the girl who was battered, bruised, and bathed in physical ruins. Megumi just hoped that Ayame had no internal bleeding, or then things would get even worse and her chances of surviving would be slim to none.

Minutes passed and came in total silence except for Ayame's labored breath and Megumi's sighs.

"What happened to you?" She thought out loud, wanting to know exactly what the girl had gone through. She had turned her onto her stomach and cringed at the sight of her back. Fresh wounds, most of them from obvious whiplashes and black and purple bruises almost toppling off each other.

Megumi was afraid of touching them, for the first time afraid of touching one of her patients. Even Kenshin's body was nothing compared to hers. His condition was worse, yes, but at least from the outside it didn't show that much. This girl's beatings were just indescribable! _She may not be bleeding from inside like Sir Ken was, but her body is in worse condition than his was in battery_.

She continued to tend to Ayame's wounds, somehow thinking that Soujiro wasn't fast enough.

"You'll be ok, miss." She whispered, hoping that Ayame's ears would hear it.

As if on cue, Ayame began to tremble. Tremble intensely and her sweating increased.

Megumi froze then panicked when she noticed what she was doing. The wounds were opening up and spilling out blood like a broken dam. She began to jerk her body freakishly, wincing for some strange reason. Megumi pinned her down by the arms, not knowing what else to do. Her quivering and jerking grew stronger and before she knew it, Megumi herself cried out for help.

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru darted through the door, a worried face on. Her eyes widened, stunned by the scene. The girl was unconscious and yet she was moving about like a struggling fish fighting to get back to water. Megumi turned to her, and when she met with the wine dyed eyes of the doctor, she knew what she had to do.

For the first time in their friendship, Kaoru had seen fear, true fear and fresh panic in Megumi Takani's eyes.

Kaoru slid to Megumi's side and held down Ayame's moving legs.

"Kaoru, what's wrong!" Sanosuke yelled from outside the room, being held back by Kenshin who reminded him that _Megumi-dono_ told them to stay out and that the patient was not decent.

"Stay out, Sano!" Kaoru answered, struggling with Ayame just like Megumi was.

"Megumi what's wrong with her?" Kaoru asked getting Megumi to stammer in a response.

"S-She's having a-a- a ment-tal breakdown. E-Either it's her b-body's way of r- releasing pain o-or she's having a subconscious collapse. She's not supposed to do this! This can harm her in any p- possible w-way!" Megumi panicked, tears on the brink.

"Calm down Megumi. Calm down, you're not alone in this." Kaoru assured, knowing exactly how Megumi felt, alone and scared.

Megumi faced her friend and nodded, trying her hardest to believe in Kaoru's words. Ayame began to mumble words, sputtering them out, baffling the women.

"Help.Help.me..Pl…Please…Help...So.Some.One.Anyone.Please…."

Megumi blinked back the tears and kicked herself into full doctor mode. "We're trying miss. If you can hear us, try to wake up. Miss, try to wake up. Say it with me Kaoru."

Kaoru agreed and both of them repeated "wake up, miss" over and over again. But that didn't stop Ayame.

"Oh Gods, she's bleeding even more!" Megumi groaned and almost broke down, giving up all faith just when Soujiro turned up with her bag.

"I came as fast as I could." Soujiro caught his breath; he hadn't stopped for a moment's time to catch it.

Megumi broke into a smile and let go of Ayame's arms to snatch the bag out of Soujiro's hands and frantically search through it, to finally pull out a small canteen.

"What's wrong with her?" Soujiro asked stunned from seeing the girl squirming in a bizarre way.

"Mental collision, I'm guessing. But with this, she'll have better chances of living through it." She answered with no stammering, her valor had come back, and went straight back to Ayame.

Soujiro realizing what they were going to do headed back outside and closed the door behind him. Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko looked at him with the expression of 'what's going on in there?' on their faces.

"Miss Megumi says that she's having a mental collision but with a drink that she has, she'll have a better chance of surviving." The guys nodded and waited once again in anxiety.

Megumi and Kaoru turned Ayame back, laying on her bleeding back and held her down as Megumi opened her mouth and made Ayame chug down the drug. The girl coughed up some of it, but most of the liquid went down her throat.

Abruptly Ayame opened her eyes and sat up, gasping for air. She then closed her eyes and fell right back into oblivion. She flopped back down on the futon; her mental collision had stopped, finally.

Kaoru and Megumi let go of her and sat back, catching their breaths. They looked at the girl, not minding her bare chest, and sighed relieved, some of the worst had past.

"What did you give her?" Kaoru asked.

"Pressed herbs from Germany. A friend of mine brought it to me as a present. The herbs over there are not the same like here, they're better."

Megumi got up and went to check Ayame's fever and frowned, "Her fever is still high."

Kaoru heaved a sigh and swabbed off the sweat from her forehead. "I don't know how you do it." She commented and got up with Megumi's inquiring eyes on her.

"Do what?" The fox asked.

Kaoru smiled a bit, "Being a doctor. Almost everyday people's lives are in your hands. I don't even want to think about the guilty consciousness you guys have when you lose one. I think I'd die from all the work."

Megumi chuckled for the first time during the whole thirty-minute crisis and remarked. "You have no idea. But I have never lost a patient, neither has Dr. Genzai and I don't expect to anytime soon, so being a doctor is wonderful for me, with all the hard work to do with it."

Kaoru nodded understanding and asked Megumi if she needed any more help, but the lady doctor answered no.

Kaoru left, telling the others that some of the problem was fixed.

Megumi stayed inside that room for two complete hours, nursing for Ayame's wounds and fever, stitching the open injuries and cooling down the high fever that kept in the high 100's. Once in a while Kaoru would come in and give Megumi anything she asked for, hoping that the girl would survive.

At last around the young night, Megumi finished content with her work. The wounds were all warily and securely patched up and her fever was going down, climbing down to a normal temperature for a fever. She sat back and swiped off the sweat that dripped on her porcelain face with a towel.

She looked up at the ceiling, her mind going above the limits of the roof, and silently thanked the Gods for being on her side that day. She looked back at a sleeping Ayame and weakly smiled, she had saved another life. Megumi covered the girl's body with a thin blanket that Kaoru gave her and asked Kaoru to help her change her clothes, noting the appearance of a beggar Ayame had on.

"Miss Megumi, you did a great job." Kaoru told her as she held Ayame by the waist to let Megumi clothe her with a yukata, and then placed her back on the futon.

"Let's go eat, Miss Megumi. You must be hungry." Kaoru whispered for no reason.

Megumi nodded and grabbed her stuff, and then left.

They arrived at the dining room of the dojo and Megumi received worried faces but they were relaxed when she smiled at them. "She'll be alright."

They nodded and gave her praise for her job well done. "Thank you everyone but unfortunately I have to get going."

"What?" Yahiko shouted, hoping that their dinner would turn into a feast and then into a party.

"Miss Megumi, please eat with us. You deserve it, that you do." Kenshin applied, looking up with his violet oceans called eyes.

Megumi blushed a bit at the sight of Kenshin looking at her like that, all of his attention pointed to her.

Kenshin, so blinded when it came to love, did not notice the fact that Kaoru was steaming with jealousy. _He never looks at me like that!_ Kaoru protested secretly, clenching her fists.

"I'm sorry Sir Ken, but I really must get going. I have work to do tomorrow morning at the clinic. Plus I need my beauty sleep," Megumi strolled up to Kenshin in a seductive way and bent over so her face was extremely close to his.

"So I can look beautiful for you."

Both Kaoru and Sanosuke fumed, rooted to their spots. Kenshin turned red at her words and 'oro-ed', getting Megumi to smirk.

She stood up straight and looked at the others. "I need someone to watch over her tonight. Who knows what can happen. I'd suggest Sou, since he was the one who brought her here and she knows his face, ne?"

Soujiro looked up from his plate of food, zoning out for a while. "I'd be happy to, Miss Megumi."

Megumi smiled at him and then turned to leave, when Kenshin stopped her with his words. "Megumi-dono, I'd sleep better tonight if Sano would walk you home. It's safer that way."

Megumi looked at Sano and rolled her eyes, "Sir Ken, I'd rather walk with a dead pig tied to my ankle then with this drunken bozo."

Sano got up like a singed cat and went to throw back something at her but Megumi interrupted, "But alright, if it makes you happy."

Sano swallowed his words and stood up, not disagreeing with Kenshin; Tokyo's twisted criminals who luckily escaped the police hung around at night, it was dangerous for women. The soon-to-be a couple got out, neither saying a word to each other.

Kaoru roughly sat down next to Kenshin who looked at her with a puzzled face, asking himself why Kaoru was suddenly in a bad mood. She ate in silence, never looking at Kenshin.

Yahiko stole Sano's food and ranked on Soujiro, whom he constantly called Tenken to annoy the young rurouni. But good mannered Soujiro disregarded the inane name and paid no mind to Yahiko as he ate.

"Stupid housewife." Yahiko sneered, his goal, always, was to bring out the Perfect Killer that was locked away in Soujiro.

How in the hell, Yahiko wondered, was the right hand man of Makoto Shishio inside of a boy who smiled like everyday was perfect and talked with a lilt that almost gave him a girlish sound!

Yahiko had no intentions on bringing out Battousai from his beloved hero and idol, Kenshin. Why torment his role model like that? But Soujiro, he was another case to Yahiko.

He sought after to see the hitokiri that everyone feared, the boy assassin who even disturbed Kenshin when his eyes would suddenly narrow in anger.

Who was Tenken no Soujiro? He had to be someone very deep and dark and deadly to be named the Perfect Killer and to be respected by Himura the Battousai. Soon he would find out, Yahiko enforced himself.

"Miss Kaoru, are you alright? You seem tense." Kenshin whispered to Kaoru, blocking out the fight that Soujiro was winning against Yahiko.

Kaoru gripped her chopsticks and smiled forcefully but did not look at Kenshin, instead at her food. "I'm peachy keen. I'm just a bit tired, that's all." She spoke with gritted teeth.

How could he not see what he was doing to her? Kenshin watched her for a moment and then went back to eating, but the thought of Kaoru's mood resided in his head.

Dinner was over with and Kenshin was left with the dishes. Kaoru went straight to bed, reminding herself that early in the morning she would bathe in the river, annoyed with Kenshin. Yahiko headed for his room, thinking of another scheme to pull out Tenken. Soujiro walked to the room where Ayame slept serenely, thanks to Megumi and sat against the wall across Ayame's futon.

Sleep was far from his mind he had an order to carry out and he planned to do it right. Sitting with a knee up and his sword on his waist, he relaxed himself, prepared for the night of no sleep.

"Good night, Sou." Kaoru spoke behind the shoji and left.

Yahiko came next and slid the door open, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Sleep with one eye open, Tenken. I might kill you tonight, unless you fight for your life."

Soujiro smiled at him innocently. "Yahiko, my name is not Tenken. It's Soujiro. And I would like it if you'd call me that."

Yahiko snorted and replied, "Yeah, whatever, housewife."

Soujiro sighed and then smirked at Yahiko.

"Yahiko, you want to see Tenken?"

Yahiko smiled widely and nodded happily, at last!

Soujiro closed his eyes and took a breath, catching Yahiko's attention. He opened his eyes and sighed again.

"Sorry Yahiko, Tenken doesn't want to come out. He says he doesn't like wasting time."

Yahiko rolled his eyes and slid the door shut, going away saying, "Stupid housewife! What's all the fuss they're making about him? Heavenly Sword my ass."

Soujiro chuckled and looked back at Ayame, who started to stir.

Soujiro got up and walked towards her, crouched down at her side.

Ayame, after moments of stirring a bit, fluttered her eyes open and blinked into the dim light of the room. Soujiro stayed quiet, thinking she would go back to sleep and watched her, mesmerized a bit by her eyes once again.

Ayame, feeling the presence of someone, looked to where she thought no one stood and met with Soujiro's dark blue eyes, the eyes she had met up before.

But her vision was blurred a bit and whom she saw was not Soujiro.

She smiled at him and tears whelmed up in her eyes, ignoring Soujiro's puzzled face as to why she was about to cry.

She parted her chapped and broken lips to speak; feeling like the moment would leave if she would not say anything to him at once, like if he was just a ghost.

To her, he was, but not at the moment.

She spoke one word and then went back to sleep in the blink of an eye, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Soujiro waited for her to be in deep slumber and quietly, almost virtually impossible to hear, went back to his little corner and watched over her again, this time with a question swirling in his head.

Who was he?

"Okita.." He muttered, just like she did that instant before.

Snow fell that night.

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**Author's Note: **For those who are wondering who is Okita. You will find out later as the story evolves. But I just want to tell you just a bit! Okita, who looks a lot like Soujiro, or rather…Soujiro looks a lot like him, was one of the leaders for the Shisengumi. He worked alongside with Saitoh….that's all you're getting for now! Muahahaha! 


	10. Love Triangle Arising? Maybe?

So sorry for taking so damn long with the chap! I was just so busy these last days, so stinkin' busy! But now, hopefully I get more open spaces in my schedule and this story will get done quick as Soujiro! (yea rite!) Thanx to those who always review n to those who read and don't! It would be nice if u did review like the others, cuz that way, I DON'T GIVE UP ON THIS =p Im running on reviews guys, that's the gas that goes through this car called writing. But enough chitchat, enjoy! More problems for our Sou, and hey! Guess who wakes up!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Days had past since that night which Soujiro kept to himself; he didn't think it was ok to tell the others about a stranger's dreams, though she seemed awake for that one moment. Each day, after that night, snow would engulf Tokyo, piling higher and higher it seemed. Soujiro had always hated the snow, especially winter. The nights he had spent sleeping in the cold when he was just a little boy caused that. With just a thin, raggedy blanket and his own warmth, he kept himself heated a bit during those long cold freezing nights. Every day, someone would proxy someone else, a rotation in keeping Ayame company and making sure she would not have other mental collision or something. After three days of deep slumber, Megumi's patient finally woke up.And met once again with Soujiro.  
  
FLASH BACK  
  
6 in the morning precisely, he noted. The day was dark as night, ironic yet true. He was outside, getting fresh air, as he did every morning since he was with Mr. Shishio. Bad habits die hard, you can say. But what's so bad about waking up at 6 to inhale the new air? Exactly. Soujiro, taking a look around, smiled softly at the nature before his eyes. The snow was still there, white and soft as ever, creating a field of its own all around the city and elsewhere. Sakura trees swayed in dance to the rhythm of the wind, cold yet childish. Childish as in, playful, twirling children's clothes as they ran in fun, playing on the wind chimes nailed on every house and store, making the leaves on the ground get up and dance in mid air to its wonderful music. Just that scene of wind passing through the dojo, ruffling his hair, moving the trees, that was enough to make him smile. He sensed out, out of habit and with no thought, Kenshin's ki coming out of his room and go straight down the halls, in his mind seeing him check each room to make sure everything was alright. ~I better go back. ~ He thought and did. He went down a different hall and ended up at the room he barely closed his eyes in and met with frightened green eyes.  
  
Soujiro stood frozen, not actually prepared for this, what could he say to her? Her eyes darted to the sword on his waist and they grew bigger. ~Great, now she's gonna think I'm going to kill her. ~ He sighed inwardly. But Soujiro smiled at her and bowed to her, noticing the way her fear turned to confusion. "Good morning, miss. You should be sleeping." He whispered, not wanting to wake the others. Ayame stared at him with a blank expression, silence in the air for a looong time. Soujiro spoke again, somewhat nervous, "Miss, I'm not here to hurt you. I brought you here because you fainted and you needed help. You're in a dojo, if you want to know." Cautiously, still looking at her, he removed his sword from the waist and crouched down to place it on the floor and got up slowly. She opened her mouth to say something and coughed instead. Soujiro moved towards her but stopped when she squeaked in alarm. Once again, they stared at each other, both analyzing one another. Unfortunately for Ayame, her head hurt so much she decided to leave the thinking alone. "Miss.Don't you remember me?" Ayame looked at him, sitting up on her elbows, which hurt like hell, and stared deadly in his eyes.  
  
The navy blue eyes, the vastness of his eyes, and the emotions in them, where had she seen them before? A memory flashed back at her and made her blink in astonishment. The laughter still rang in her ears from that one memory and slowly fainted away. She looked back at him and noticed the puzzlement he had. She shook her head in a negative to answer his question. Soujiro nodded sadly and sat down next to her, getting her to scoot away.  
  
"Miss, I'm not gonna hurt you. I brought you here so you can heal. You're hurt badly miss. I'm surprised you can even lift yourself up on your elbows." He commented with a smile, trying to ease some tension. ~Boy, is she shaken. ~  
  
Ayame sighed and opened her mouth ONCE AGAIN and let out a small hoarse whisper. "Ayame."  
  
Soujiro leaned in a bit, not quiet hearing her, for an expert in catching even the lightest and smallest of sounds, he couldn't grab hold of her words. She said it once again and he smiled at her, understanding what her word meant.  
  
"Miss Ayame. Lovely name." Ayame painted her cheeks in pink by his words, getting him to raise an eyebrow but accompanied by a smile. "Arigato." She whispered, this time her voice a bit clearer. "What's yours?" She asked, scooting back to her normal position. "Soujiro. But everybody here calls me Sou." Ayame nodded and coughed again, wincing at the pain in her throat. "Are you ok?" Soujiro asked, not knowing what to do ONCE AGAIN. ~Of course she's not all right, baka! She's practically wrapped in bandages like Mr. Shishio! Kami-sama, you're dense. ~  
  
She finished her coughing and laughed quietly at herself. "I like your name too, Soujiro-san." Soujiro cringed inwardly at the name but laughed at it outwardly. "Miss Ayame, I'm no one important. I like Soujiro plain." Ayame shrugged but went with him. "Soujiro.How did you find me?" She asked, leaning in a bit. Soujiro was about to start when 'he' came through the door, his usual smirk of confidence on.  
  
"Get ready to eat dirt, Tenken!" Yahiko yawned and then looked at Ayame who giggled at his appearance. His hair looked like Chou's, standing up straight as a broom's brushes. His clothes were only his gray gi that he used to sleep with, leaving out two feet covered in socks to show. He looked a bit stoned, his eyes fluttering. Yahiko turned red as a beet but then burst into anger, a girl who he didn't even know was laughing at him. At HIM, Myoujin Yahiko!  
  
"Oi, what's so funny!" He yelled at her, shocking Ayame and irritating Soujiro EXTREMELY. Didn't Kaoru teach the kid some manners? Soujiro, setting his jaw but keeping his smile, opened his mouth to say something but Ayame won him to it.  
  
"Anything that looks funny to me, and unfortunately for you, Yahiko, you're funny to me. Now be a good baka deshi and go to your sensei."  
  
Both brunettes looked at her, surprised. Soujiro because of hearing her speak for the first time so gruesome and Yahiko because of hearing his name come out of a stranger's lips.  
  
"D-Do I know you?" Yahiko stuttered, coming towards her. Ayame rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "You were the kid that got mad at me for telling some girls that I would cut off their hair." Yahiko made an 'O' with his lips and nodded, then looked at her with a weird face.  
  
"You don't look the same. You had mud and dirt all over you. Megumi did nice cleaning you up." Ayame just looked at him. Yahiko feeling a bit uneasy with Ayame's eyes that were greener than Misao's staring at him, turned to Soujiro who was looking at Ayame. Yahiko grew an impish grin, mischief taking over him.  
  
"Tenken stop staring at her. It's rude, you should know better. Don't make it so obvious." Yahiko said getting Soujiro to shoot his attention to Yahiko, his eyes wide with surprise, a surprise look that tried very hard to not show his embarrassment. Ayame looked at Soujiro and then to Yahiko, confused.  
  
"Make wh-what obvious, Yahiko?" Soujiro asked, clearly a bit behind. Yahiko chuckled with such malevolence it seemed very Saitoh-like.  
  
"Tenken, Tenken, Tenken. It's so clear to see that you like her. Just don't make it so obvious like I said." Soujiro and Ayame grew red as red could ever be, stunned by his words.  
  
"What! What are you talking about? I don't like miss Ayame! I just met her! You must be crazy, Yahiko. Sano must've given you a lot of sake! Silly, silly, boy! Ha ha ha!" Soujiro panicked, shaking his hands and his head in company with his words, sweat drops animatedly hanging around his head as his face flushed with humiliation as he laughed uneasily. Ayame kept quiet, feeling a bit embarrassed with the sensation of sweet surprise, even with all her bruises that settled on her, he liked her. But his words killed the sensation, he didn't.  
  
"Yeah, right. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Tenken." Yahiko taunted, holding his laughter in. Soujiro's face and actions were priceless! To hell with bringing out the assassin, making the perfect guy imperfect like that was a better reward! He strolled out with an air of victory in him, feeling very, very majestic.  
  
Soujiro, still blushing, scratched the back of his head in pure nervousness. ~When I get you alone Myoujin! ~ He yelled inwardly.  
  
"Soujiro.it's ok." Ayame whispered noting his uneasiness. Soujiro reluctantly looked at her and blushed a bit more; even though she was physically shattered, pounded with black blues, she seemed almost.innocent. An innocence that somehow caught his attention, more than what.What Misao had done to him whenever she was near. Even when the weasel had met that Tenken, she hadn't seduced him subconsciously until weeks later. What was it that she had?  
  
"Miss Ayame, I will be back later with your food. I have to make it, so, just relax and try to go back to sleep. It'll be a while." Soujiro spoke, wishing that he could just disappear from sight to cool down his face and take off the embarrassment. Ayame nodded silently, and slowly went back to her primary posture. She closed her eyes for a moment and decided to tell him once again that it was ok if he didn't like her, she didn't know him either. But still.. few guys have the guts to smile and respect a battered woman. And just knowing that made her feel.good. At least he was a guy without a katana chasing after her. She opened her eyes to look at him and found no one. No one in the room. ~What the? ~  
  
She sighed, thinking that she must've scared him away. She tried relaxing her tensed muscles and slowly but surely went to sleep.  
  
Soujiro had run lightly on his feet, as always out of the room, it definitely resembled his fighting room, the room with no space. He dashed to the kitchen, anxiously tied his apron with trembling hands and ripped open a new bag of potatoes, grabbing a couple and began to peel one. That was not a moment he would like to remember. Damn that Yahiko, that teasing was uncalled for! How would he show his face to her? How could he go back into that room and face her! How, how, HOW! Soujiro got a little carried away and the knife slipped, cutting his finger. He stopped and looked down, noticing that small drop of blood that appeared.  
  
"SOUJIROOOO!!!!" A loud and obnoxious voice called out, shaking down the whole house all except Soujiro. He knew that voice very well. And he loved it. But now, it was not the time for it to pop out. But he still loved it. Or at least liked it a lot, who was he to know what love was?  
  
He smiled and turned to face the one person that he admired as much as Kenshin, but with more heart ;)  
  
"Hello, miss Misao nice seeing you again." 


End file.
